The present invention is an improved interlining structure which is free from the defects of conventional interlining structures for waterproofed apparel such as a dot-type interlining structure obtained by applyinng a hot-melt sealant resin partly to one surface of an interliner base, and to a method for producing it. Especially, it relates to an interlining structure which has been markedly improved in water absorption, water permeability, and the state of wetting of outer fabrics, and to a method for its production. Furthermore, it relates to an interliner structure of improved effects which has eliminated various other defects such as the irregular protruding portions of the surface of an outer fabric or the incomplete adhesion between the outer fabric and the interlining structure, and to a method for its production.
Apparel interlining structures in which a hot-melt sealant synthetic resin has been applied partly to one surface of an interliner base have already been known, and for example, dot-type interliner structures have come into practical use.
Such conventional interlining structures have frequently been used, for example, at the collar, shoulder, front, or pocket of a garment. In use, such as interlining structure is superimposed on an outer fabric of the garment with the hot-melt sealent applied surface being placed face to face with the outer fabric, and the assembly is heated under pressure to bond the interliner to the outer fabric. For example, at the collar portion, it is common practice to fold such a bonded structure with the interliner structure being situated inwards, and then subject it to a heat-pressing treatment by, for example, ironing to make it into the shape of a collar.
We noticed that when such a conventional interlining structure is used, irregular protruding portions occur on the surface of an outer fabric, for example, during wearing in the rain. When such a phenomonon occurs immediately after the making of a collar portion, etc. of a garment, it results in the disadvantage of reducing the commercial value of the garment. In addition, we found that this undesirable phenomenon frequently becomes very conspicuous upon repeated washing and wearing or repeated wetting with rain and drying.
In the case of waterproofed apparel such as raincoats, the wearer often experiences considerable wetting as those portions which use the interlining structure, such as the collar or front.
We have investigated into the defect of irregular protruding of the surface of an outer fabric at those portions in which the interlining structure is used, and the defect of reduced waterproofness of the waterproofed outer fabric. The investigation led to the following discoveries.
When the outer fabric and the interlining structure are heat-pressed, a part of the hot-melt sealant resin permeates into the outer fabric to serve for the bonding of the two, and another part of it also permeates into the interliner base. The manner of permeation, however, differs from the interstices among the fibers in the base or the portion of sparsely assembled fibers to the other densely assembled fibers. In the above-mentioned interstices or the sparsely assembled portion, the hot-melt sealant resin is liable to bleed out onto the back surface where the resin is not applied, and has difficulty of permeating into the other portions. When such a bonded structure is folded with the interlining structure being situated inwards and heat-pressed, the superimposed back surfaces adhere to each other irregularly and partly. This is the cause of the formation of irregular protruding parts on the outer fabric. In order to avoid this phenomenon, measures may be taken to adhere the back surfaces to each other uniformly throughout. However, this requires the use of an interliner base having a markedly restricted texture, and a complex and difficult sewing operation is required. Even if such a restricted special base is used or the disadvantageous sewing operation is performed, it is still necessary to increase the amount of the hot-melt sealant resin. Furthermore, this frequently results in the permeation of the sealant resin into the surface of the outer fabric. With a view to avoiding the above phenomenon, we also attempted to prevent the back surfaces from adhering to each other, but this procedure is restricted by many factors such as the amount of the hot-melt sealant resin to be used and the control of the permeation of the resin into the interliner base, and found to be totally unfeasible.
When, for example, a dot-type interlining structure in which a hot-melt sealent resin has been applied partly to one surface of the interlining base is dipped in a solution of a synthetic resin which has poor co-meltability with the above sealant resin in an attempt to prevent the permeation of the synthetic resin into the back surface of the interlining structure, the bonding of the interliner to the outer fabric is substantially sacrificed. Furthermore, when the interliner base is first dipped in the above solution of the synthetic resin having poor co-meltability and then the hot-melt sealant resin is applied, the sealant-applied areas are liable to drop off, and the products cannot be used for practical purposes.